


Letters From War

by psychicdreamsandangelwings



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Angst with a Happy Ending, But there really is a happy ending, Carl and Judith are adopted, Daryl's in the army, Eventual Fluff, I Don't Even Know, I should be better at tagging by now, M/M, Minor Violence, Seriously What Do I Tag, There's probs gonna be feels, and heartache
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-15 15:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3452033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicdreamsandangelwings/pseuds/psychicdreamsandangelwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl takes out Judith’s picture from the envelope and unfolds it. The second he sees it he feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes. The picture is a hand drawn image of two people, Judith and Daryl, and he's never seen anything so amazing. Daryl’s in his army uniform, which is a pretty decent representation for a twelve year old, and Judith’s clinging to his hand, big smile on her face. He can tell she'd taken her time drawing it, maybe even got some help from Carl. Above them, in Judith’s scratchy little handwriting, are the words, “You’re my Hero, Daddy.”</p><p>Or the one where Daryl leaves his family behind to fight a War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short sorta kinda song fic, and here I go turning it into a chaptered fic. My brain sucks sometimes, it never knows when to quit. 
> 
> This is based on the song Letters From War by Mark Schultz with a slight twist. If you listen to the song you'll pretty much be able to guess where this is gonna go. You don't need to listen to the song to be able to understand what's going on though.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy

Rick gets the first letter two weeks after Daryl ships out. Why they had even called him back in is beyond him. Daryl had done a few years of service fifteen years ago, in Rick's opinion he should be allowed to remain at home. But he didn't make the rules and the army needed more soldiers to fight their damn war. He knows it's a noble cause, knows that when innocent people are being slaughtered by the millions the world's got to step up, but he's pretty sure they could find others to fight their battles. Leave him and his family out of it.

He knew it could take a while to get anything. Daryl's gonna be moving around a lot, not to mention he's got bigger things to worry about than sending a letter right now, like the war he's fighting in, and it could take some time before he could get anything sent. Rick's been checking the mailbox every single day, hoping for any sign that Daryl’s still alive. He knows that if something would have happened to him he'd be notified immediately, but there's still nothing like holding a letter sent directly from his husband. He misses his Daryl, knows the kids sure as hell miss him, and a letter with a few paragraphs, even if its complete nonsense, is enough to make him happier than he’s been since Daryl left.

So when Rick pulls a letter addressed to him out of the mailbox his heart starts beating so fast he can hardly stand it. He tears open the envelope as fast as he can, careful not to rip the letter within the it, and pulls out a single piece of paper. Rick recognizes Daryl’s handwriting right away.

 

_Rick,_

_The weather here is absolute shit. It’s hotter than hell during the day and colder than shit at night. I wish you were here, it’d make this all so much easier to handle, but I’m also glad you aren’t. I’m not sure I could function properly if you were out here, I’d be too worried about you to watch my back. At least when you're there I know you're safe, I can count on that. It's one of the only things that truly motivates me._

_I'm out here, fighting for what I know is right. This is the cause I believe in, helping to protect innocents who can't protect themselves. I know you’re worried about me, but remember I’ll do anything to get back to you and the kids. I'm not leaving you alone._ _I know you’re going to read this to the kids so I don’t want to get too graphic. It’s scary and it's hard and some days I think I'm gonna break, I won't lie to you babe, but I’m okay. I don’t want you worrying about me. The best thing you can do for me right now is take care of yourself, take care of the kids, don't let this situation get to you. I'll be home faster than you can imagine._

_I_ _t’s really not that bad over here. The food is shit and the weather is practically bipolar, but there’s a lot of good men and women here._ _I’ve made friends Rick, can you believe it? I know, we’ve got lots of friends. But those are all people you’ve met, people you’ve introduced me to. This time it’s all me. There's this guy, Glenn. We're in the same division and we've gotten pretty close. He's a real good guy, younger than me but he's good company when there's nothing to do. I’ve never fit in anywhere, you know that better than anyone, but I find it easy to talk to everyone around me. Maybe it’s the situation, the fact that these people will do anything just for a chance to smile, I don’t know. Whatever it is I’m glad. It makes everything easier, having people to talk to who completely understand the situation._

_Tell the kids I miss them and I’ll be home before they know it. I want to hear everything about them, even if it’s just the simplest of things. It kills me to think that I’m missing out on their lives, getting updates will make me feel better and it’ll give me something to think about other than what’s going on. I hate the fact that I’m so far away from them, that I can’t be there for them. At least you’re there. Don’t let them forget how much I love them, please. That's important to me._

_I’ve missed you and the kids more than I’ve ever missed anything, Rick. I don’t know how long this war is going to last, how long I’m going to be away from you guys. We aren’t making much progress but it’s still early. We’ll see what happens in the months to come. I know they’re talking about a draft, and by God I hope they don’t enact it. Carl’s almost seventeen, it won’t be long before he’s eligible for the draft and that’s the last thing I want for him. He deserves better than this, I'll never be able to rest easy knowing that there's a chance he could end up out here._

_No matter what happens know that I love you and Carl and Judith._ _You guys are what I’m fighting for._

_Daryl_

Rick's not even finished with the first sentence by the time the tears start. When he had first opened Daryl's letter, he was tempted to just wait until the kids got home so that they could read it together. He's definitely glad he waited now. He doesn’t want the kids to see him like this, worried and scared as all hell. If they see him cry, they’ll start crying and that’s the last thing he wants. He has to be strong for them, that’s the only way they’re going to get through this.

Rick's eyes skim over the letter a second time, trying to take in as much of Daryl as he can. He's on his way into the kitchen when Rick catches sight of a framed photo of Daryl in his uniform with Carl and Judith. He smiles, runs a finger down Daryl’s face, before he moves on. Rick wipes at his tears before he carefully folds up the letter and sets it on the counter. He’ll be home soon, Rick’s sure of it.

* * *

Daryl’s not sure how long he's been gone by the time he gets his first letter; t ime is hard to keep track of here, especially when he’s got more important things to worry about.  Daryl knows it has to be at least a week and a half since he sent his first letter to Rick, probably longer than that.  It’s a welcome sight, the envelope that he’s handed when they do mail call. He misses his family and even the slightest bit of news could do wonders for him. 

Daryl waits until he's got a moment of piece to tear open the letter, he doesn't want to be interrupted right now. There's more than one thing in it but he takes out the biggest piece of paper, figuring that's the main letter.

 

_Daryl,_

_Man, babe, I miss you so much. The kids miss you a lot. Judith shows it more, you know how easy it is to read her emotions, but Carl’s been awfully quiet since you left. He’s worried about you, Daryl, I mean really worried about you. He’s basically glued to the news channel, always looking for more recent news on the war and wondering if they might be willing to end this anytime soon. Don’t worry about us, you just worry about yourself and making it home in one piece. That’s all we could possibly want right now._

_I’m glad you’re making friends. I know that probably sounds like something really lame to say but I hope it makes you smile, even if it's a small one. I don’t reckon there’s a lot of chances for you to smile over there, you know how much I love your smile. Friends, buddies, people you can talk to, whatever you want to call it, have got to make things so much easier for you. It must be hell over there and it kills me to think of the position you’re in.  Just know I’m proud of you Daryl, so fucking proud of you. You're brave and fearless and I love you._

_The kids are doing really well in school. Judith had parent teacher conferences last week and her teacher had nothing but good things to say about her. She started a dance class, I’m not really sure what the hell she’s doing half the time but she really enjoys it. You should see her when she dances Daryl, it makes her so happy. It doesn't matter if she falls a million times, she just loves doing it. She’s as bright and cheerful as she’s always been and she’s so proud of you Daryl, we all are. She tells everyone she can that her Daddy’s fighting to keep people safe, like a real hero._

_Carl’s doing the same, getting A’s and B’s like usual. If he keeps this up he’ll be set to letter at the end of the year. He joined his school newspaper recently, he’s a really good writer. The local newspaper even asked him if they could print one of his articles, he’s really good, Daryl. You’d be so proud of him. He won an art competition yesterday for a comic strip he drew and wrote himself. He’s decided to go to art school, he wants to create his own comic books. Yesterday he asked me what you would think of the career choice, I think he thought you might have laughed because he wants to do something so artsy. I told him I know for sure he’ll be proud of anything he decides to do and his eyes light up. Our son has raw talent, Daryl, he’s gonna be someone someday._

_We miss you so much and we can’t wait ‘til the day you return to us. The kids wanted to do something themselves for you. Carl wrote a letter for you and Judith drew a picture. I made sure it was small enough so she could actually send it to you without having to fold it a billion times. I really hopes this helps cheer you up, wherever you are. We love you, Daryl, so damn much._

_Always remember that_ _,_

_Rick_

 

There’s no denying it, Daryl’s crying. He rubs at his eyes harshly, wiping away the tear tracks that trail down his cheeks, until there’s no remnant he’d been crying.  He misses them like crazy and wants nothing more than to head home right now. But the world’s not safe for his kids, that’s why he’s over here fighting. He’ll do whatever it takes to make the world a better place for them.

Daryl shakes the contents of the envelope out into his crossed legs. Inside there’s a letter from Carl and a picture from Judith, just like Rick said there would be, and a small picture of the three of them. He’s never seen the picture before so he knows it’s new. They’re smiling and happy and Daryl’s never seen anything so precious. It’s not very big, about wallet sized, and he knows he can fit it into his breast pocket easily. That’s probably exactly why Rick had sent it, he knew Daryl would be able to take it with him everywhere.

Daryl takes out Judith’s picture from the envelope and unfolds it. The second he sees it he feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes. The picture is a hand drawn image of two people, Judith and Daryl, and he's never seen anything so amazing. In the drawing Daryl’s in his army uniform, which is a pretty decent representation for a twelve year old, and Judith’s clinging to his hand, big smile on her face. He can tell she'd taken her time drawing it, maybe even got some help from Carl. Above them, in Judith’s scratchy little handwriting, are the words, “You’re my Hero, Daddy.”

His hands start to shake so hard the paper makes a rustling sound as it twitches through the air. This is the best gift anyone has ever given him and the fact that it's from his daughter makes it ten times better. He stares at the drawing in his hands, memorizing everything and anything about it. After a few more moments his hands are still shaking and Daryl has to set Judith's picture aside. He clasps his hands together to get them to stop shaking before he moves onto the next section.

He takes a few seconds before he picks up Carl’s letter. It’s not long, more of a note then a letter really, but he doesn't even care. It’s from his son, he’s going to cherish it no matter what it says.

 

_Dad,_

_I’m sure Dad’s told you a lot about everything that’s going on, but I just knew that I had to write a letter specifically for you. I miss you, a lot. I think about you all the time. I don’t know how stuff is really like over there, I just get to see what’s on the news and they aren't always that reliable. I just hope you stay safe. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you._

_You told me when I showed up on your doorstep nearly ten years ago that you’d never leave me. I didn’t believe you, how could I? I had nightmares for months before I finally accepted the fact that you weren't going to give us back, that you weren't going to abandon us, that you really did want us in your life. You took in me and Judith, you and Dad, and you've made us happier than I ever could have imagined. I know you feel like you've left me, like you've broken your promise. Don’t think that, because I sure as hell don’t. You were pulled away from us, to help make the world a better place. I don’t blame you for that, how could I?_

_Don’t worry about us Dad, please. It’s dangerous enough over there, just worry about keeping yourself safe. I’ll take care of Judith and Dad until you get back. Do what you need to do, we’ll be here for you._

_Love,_

_Carl_

Oh lord, Daryl’s so done for. He presses his fingers against his eyes as hard as he can, trying to stop the tears before it really starts going. It's useless though, he knows they’re gonna keep coming. He sits like that for five minutes, trying to get the tears to stop. Eventually he pulls his fingers away from pushing painfully at his eyes, sniffs, and rubs at his eyes. He looks back down at the picture Rick sent him, runs his fingers over their faces. He’s lucky to have such an amazing family.

“So that’s them?” Glenn, someone Daryl’s grown really close to since they've been stationed together, says as he slides down so he’s sitting next to Daryl.

“Yep,” Daryl says with a smile, looking over at Glenn. He hasn't told Glenn much about his family, just their names, but Glenn sure has told him a lot about his girlfriend Maggie.

“This is Judith,” Daryl says, pointing to Judith. “My baby. She’s twelve. Sweetest kid you’ll ever meet, she’s just taken up dance.”

“And this is Carl,” Daryl says, moving his finger towards Carl. “He’s sixteen. Damn good artist and writer, he wants to design his own comic books and he sure as hell has the talent to do so.”

“And then there’s Rick,” Daryl says, moving his finger so it’s pointing towards Rick’s face. “My husband. We took in Carl and Judith almost ten years ago, started off as a foster parents. They’re blood siblings, their parents were bastards who treated them like shit. The system had nowhere else to put them so they were gonna split them up. Carl was terrified, he didn't want to be taken from his sister. Lucky enough they were place in our care.”

Daryl clenches the hand that’s not holding the picture into a fist as he remembers reading Judith and Carl’s case file. They’re parents were assholes, left scars all over Carl. He’d taken the brunt of their anger and did his best to keep Judith out of the crossfire. Still Judith was three and Carl was seven, he didn’t need that shit on his shoulders at such a young age.

“Carl still remembers a lot of what happened but Judith doesn't remember anything, thank God,” Daryl says. He wishes he could erase their bad memories, replace them with better ones, but life didn’t work like that. “We started the adoption process a year later, it finalized just a few months after that.”

“At least they’ve got you now,” Glenn says, smiling. “You’ve got a beautiful family.”

Daryl smirks, looks back at the picture. He can’t help but agree. “Thanks.”

“This is Maggie,” Glenn says, pulling out a picture of his girlfriend. Daryl hasn’t seen a picture of her yet. She’s pretty, with short brown hair and a slim figure. It’s no wonder Glenn’s so in love with her. “My girlfriend. If I survive this, I’m going to propose to her. Already asked for her Dad’s blessing.”

Daryl smiles, Glenn’s entire face lights up when he looks down at Maggie. He knows that look in his eyes, knows that Maggie is someone Glenn cherishes. “You’ll survive this, even if I have to personally make sure of it.” Daryl means it as a joke at first but he soon realizes there’s merit to what he says.

Glenn just smiles and claps Daryl’s shoulder. Daryl smiles and looks down at the picture he’s got in his hands before he slips it into his pocket alongside the letter from Carl and the picture from Judith.

Daryl looks up at the dark sky, watches the stars as they twinkle overhead. For a second he forgets he’s in a foreign country stationed at a makeshift Army camp in the middle of World War III and just thinks about his family, what they might be doing right now. I promise, he says silently to himself as he looks up at the sky, I’ll make it home to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that happened. I plan on posting two more chapters. I've pretty much got them all planned out so it won't be long before they're posted (hopefully). I hope this was decent, the idea has literally been in my head for over a week now and I seriously can't stop thinking about it.
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this has taken so long to update. I've had most of this chapter written for a while now, I just haven't had the chance to finish it.

The letters continue on for the rest of the year. They've worked out a system, the two of them. Rick tries his best to tell Daryl everything that’s happening on the home front, no matter how insignificant the information may seem, and Daryl tries his best to calm Rick’s fears no matter how bad shit gets. They both are able to see this exchange for what it is, a poorly veiled attempt at pretending nothing is wrong with their predicament, but honestly, neither of one of them really cares. Some may call it denial, they just see it as way to make the most of the situation they've been thrown into.

The only thing Daryl has to look forward to are the letters from his family; they help remind him of everything he’s fighting for. These letters, and Glenn’s constant attempt at humor, are the only things that make him crack a genuine smile when all he wants to do is cry. War is ugly, it’s not the romantic, over exaggerated, shit Hollywood spiels out for those into romance and happy endings. He’s seen, literally seen with his own eyes, more people die in one day than he has his entire life. The war is only getting tougher and bloodier with no sign of stopping anytime soon and he's bound to see even more death and destruction.

Daryl’s been away for a year. That’s twelve months, fifty-two weeks, three hundred and sixty-five days, 8,675 hours, and 525,949 minutes he’s missed of his children’s lives and he knows it’s only getting tougher. Carl hit the nail on the head in the first letter he ever wrote him, he feels like he's abandoned his kids, feels like he broke that promise he'd made to Carl to never leave him. He’s missed his and Rick’s anniversary, countless holidays, and all of their birthdays. At the rate this war is going, he’s going to end up missing Carl’s eighteenth birthday and his graduation next year, something he'll never forgive himself for. He can't help but feel like he’s abandoned his family and he feels incredibly guilty for doing so.

Daryl maneuvers his bag under his head and pulls out the picture Judith drew for him and the letter Carl had wrote to him all those months ago. He keeps them on his person at all times, folded up and tucked away safely in his pocket. The paper is worn and crinkled in places, Daryl takes both of them out at multiple times a day, but they're both intact and that’s all that really matters to him. It’s too dark for him to actually see much of what's on the papers, but that doesn’t make a difference. He’s got them both memorized by now.

His fingers trace over the picture and his thoughts instantly switch over to Rick and the kids. He mentally calculates the time difference and pictures what they’d be doing right about now. Carl and Judith would be heading off to school and Rick would be getting ready for his shift at the police station. He wishes he could call them, knows he'd do just about anything to hear their voices. The world they live in definitely has the technology to do so, but these days technological connections are too easily infiltrated. The other side could do a lot of damage with just the simplest of information, they couldn't risk it.

Daryl sighs and folds up the papers in his hand, slipping them back into his pocket where they belong. He looks up at the dark sky. The stars twinkle brightly above them and the moon, the same moon that Rick and the kids will be looking at in a few hours, shines down on them from above. The moon gives him peace, helps him feel connected to his family even when he’s miles away. It's the same wherever you are in the world, never changing, and thinks that's why it has such a calming affect on him. 

Glenn’s already asleep a few feet beside him, along with the majority of their squadron, soft snores providing the only background noise he has. He knows it’s weird, but Daryl’s grown accustomed to the sound of his snores and it often lulls him to sleep. It reminds him of home, of Rick’s loud snoring, and soon enough Daryl is drifting off to sleep, completely oblivious of what’s about to come.

* * *

Rick’s nervous, there’s no other way to describe it. He’s fucking terrified. Usually he gets a letter from Daryl every few weeks, sometimes earlier if his location is relatively stable. But it’s been a month and he hasn't heard a thing from him. He tells himself not to worry, if he was dead he would have already been informed by now. At least, he most likely would have been informed by now. War is confusing and information often gets jumbled up, it’s very probable that Daryl’s already dead and something could have happened that prevented him from finding out. And that’s what scares him so much.

Rick hears a noise from outside and looks out the window. The delivery man is out front, slipping a handful of letters into their mailbox. Rick’s up in a second, out the door before the mailman has even completely pulled away. He grabs the stack of mail and quickly ciphers through it. He comes across a letter addressed to him. He doesn’t examine it too closely, assuming it’s from Daryl, and he rips it open. The envelope contains a simple piece of paper. His heart is pounding so hard in his chest it’s almost painful as he unfolds it and begins to read. His smile falls and dread fills him after only reading the first line. This is definitely not from his husband.

_Rick,_

_I know you're not expecting this, and I can't even begin to imagine how scared you are. I would have written earlier but I’ve only just now woken up in the hospital. My name is Glenn. I don't know if you know who I am, but I’m in the same squadron of Daryl. We had an ongoing agreement, something the two of us promised each other back in the very beginning of the war. If anything happened to us we would write to each other’s families, no matter what the situation was. I never wanted to have to do this, but the last thing Daryl said to me before they took him was remember our promise. I respect Daryl too much not to uphold his request._

_I should probably start of by saying that Daryl’s not dead, at least I’m very certain he’s not. I don't want to scare you but I don't want to act like everything's fine and dandy, I feel like you're the kind of person who wants to know things the way they are. We were out on a simple mission, just a handful of us. A supply package had been dropped and it was our job to retrieve it. It was supposed to be simple, but, like everything in this damned war, it went to shit. I don’t remember much, amnesia tends to do that to you, but I do remember that I somehow ended up separated from the rest of the squadron. I was up on a hill, I was out there alone, shots rang out, bombs started exploding, I honestly thought I was going to die._

_But that’s when I saw him, Daryl came back for me. He was the only one who bothered to come back. He dragged me to safety, helped bandage my wound, and I thought we were both safe. But then we heard the enemy, they were right above the place we were hiding. He didn’t want me to get captured, he knew I was too wounded and that I would die if they found me. He begged me to remember my promise and then stepped out. They got him, took him God knows where. But he’s still alive, I know he is._

_I wish I would have died or at least had been taken instead of Daryl, I know I deserve it. Daryl’s a good man, he doesn't deserve to be where he is right now. I don't know anything about his location or about what’s going to happen to him, but I do know he loves you and your kids more than anything else. I know this doesn't help any, but your husband is a hero. He is strong, he'll make it back to you. I know it._

_I am so unbelievably sorry,_

_Glenn_

The letter slips from Rick’s hand and before he knows it, he collapses. Suddenly he can't breathe, can't think straight. Daryl’s been taken by the enemy, he’s become a prisoner of a war he never really wanted to be a part of in the first place, and there is absolutely nothing he can do about it. The tears start to flow freely and he fights back the urge to scream. Carl comes out of the house, followed shortly by Judith, and he knows they can tell something horrible has happened right away.

Judith starts sobbing and falls to the ground next to Rick, who instantly pulls her into his arms. Carl picks up the letter on the ground. He only reads a few lines before he takes off into the woods behind their house. Rick wants to scream after him, make him come back, but he can’t find the energy to open his mouth, let alone make him come back. All he can do now is hold his little girl and pray her Daddy makes it home safe.

* * *

Thousands of miles away a soldier sits alone in a dank and dusty cell. He clutches desperately at a dirty, crinkled, blood stained drawing. The words “You’re my hero, Daddy” are just barely visible. He can’t see the moon anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a horrible person.


	3. Chapter 3

Rick gets the official letter a few days after Glenn’s.

_Prisoner of War. No Idea where he is. Freedom could be negotiable. Luck is usually on our side. We'll keep you posted._

The phrases melt through his head, twisting and turning as he tries to make sense of just what the hell this means. He knows this has always been a possibility, knows that anything is possible in the midst of a war, but he never thought it would actually happen to Daryl.  It doesn't seem real, his brain can’t comprehend the fact that the man he loves has been taken God knows where. This kind of stuff happens in movies, to people with sad stories on the news, not to him, not to _Daryl_. 

Rick’s not stupid. He knows what happens to prisoners of war, the torture they are subjected to. To think his husband is going through hell and there's no way to prevent it from happening kills him. He hopes, prays, that maybe he got lucky and he’s in a place that’s somewhat decent. He'll admit though, he’s not very hopeful. Everyday more reports are being brought forth about the horrible conditions prisoners of war are kept in, and every single one of them does nothing but causes him pain.

All he can think about is his kids and how this is going to affect them. It kills him. As a parent all he wants to do is wrap them up in a cocoon of safety, not let anything hurt them, but when it involved their Dad he knows he can't shield them from it. It's already starting to affect them in different ways and it hasn't even been a week, he doesn't want to think what could happen if this ends up lasting another year.

Rick's in his and Daryl's room, trying to sort through the different thoughts that are spreading through him like rapid fire. Judith's curled up in bed, fast asleep. This is the third night in a row he's been woken up by screaming coming from her room. Her nightmares seem to be getting worse, not better, and he's not sure what he should do. He sighs and looks out the window, watches the moon as it slowly makes it's way across the sky. "Come home to us, please," he whispers to nothing in particular. "I don't think we can handle much more of this."

* * *

Months go by and still there's no word of Daryl's whereabouts. Rick reckons it'd be much easier to handle if he knew something about where he was being held. Instead he's left with his imagination, an imagination that's done nothing but concoct gruesome pictures of what could be happening to his husband right now. Rick’s been having nightmares every night, every one just as gruesome as the next. He sees Daryl broken and bleeding in an abandoned field, his children crying in front of a white tombstone, the enemy doing unspeakable things to his husband.

And to think all of this is happening because he didn’t want some kid to go home in a coffin. Rick wants to be mad at him, wants to curse him for putting their family though this, but he just can't. Truth is, he’s not even remotely surprised Daryl had done something like this. He's always had a protective streak a mile wide and if there was something he could do to prevent someone he cared about dying he’d damn make sure he did it, no matter what happened to him. He just wishes it hadn't resulted in the situation they're in now.

Every day Carl grows more resentful, closes himself off even more. He practically barricades himself in his room every day. He's stopped hanging out with friends, Rick's not even sure he still talks to them if he's being honest. Carl's just stopped caring. He’s stopped drawing completely, Rick hasn't seen him with his sketchpad since they'd gotten the news, and he never talks about his art anymore. It's become a source of taboo in their home and Rick's not entirely sure why. His grades have dropped, he's barely keeping up with anything other than the current war progress, and it’s safe to say Rick’s more worried about him than he’s ever been.

While Carl seems to be pulling away Judith has become the complete opposite. She's always been a lovable kid, but ever since they'd gotten the news about Daryl it's increased tenfold. She's become incredibly clinging and hardly ever talks. She only leaves Rick’s side when she absolutely has to and she’s pretty much stopped talking completely. Judith had horrible nightmares for a month after they'd gotten the news, so bad that she'd push herself into a full blown panic attack. She's started sleeping with Rick almost every night, something that's put a stop to her nightmares completely. He’s tried taking her to see a therapist, but that had caused an entirely new set of problems so Rick had just stopped the sessions.

Rick doesn't let himself feel, can’t let himself feel. Not when his kids need him so damn much. He lets himself cry when he’s alone, but otherwise he keeps his worries and his comments about the war bottled up inside as he tries to provide his family with everything they need. He doesn't want to admit, but he can tell he’s starting to slowly spiral out of control though. He's terrified of finding out something horrible has happened and he misses his husband, he struggles to pay the bills by himself and his kids are barely hanging on. He doesn't know how much longer he can take this.

* * *

The car pulls up in front of the familiar white house and Daryl’s heart starts beating out of control. By now it’s been well over a year since he’s seen his family, months since they've gotten any news about his whereabouts. Daryl’s so nervous, showing up here out of the blue like this, he has no idea what’s about to happen and that’s what terrifies him. He can make out Judith’s form sitting outside on the porch swing, mindlessly swinging back and forth. She looks so dejected and it breaks his heart to see her like this. She doesn't see him at first, gaze focused on the ground, but it’s clear by her reaction when she actually does catch sight of him.

“Daddy,” Judith screams so loud it echoes throughout their surroundings. They don't have many neighbors and they don't live that close to them but Daryl wouldn't be surprised to find out they had heard her. Daryl quickens his pace, limping up the pathway as fast as his bad leg will let him, as he tries to get to his daughter. His injured leg is throbbing, blinding pain shooting up and down his limb, but he doesn't care. All he wants is to get to his daughter.

Judith comes flying at him, sobbing so hard she can hardly see, and jumps into his arms. His body aches as he picks her up but doesn't care, can’t care when it’s been so long since he’s had her in his arms. She’s thirteen now and bigger then he remembers but he still picks her up like she’s a little kid.

Judith wraps her arms tightly around Daryl’s neck as her legs come up around his back, clinging so hard to him it's actually hard for him to breathe. Daryl’s never felt so relieved in his life, getting to hold his little girl after months of being locked away. She buries her face in Daryl’s neck, tears soaking his skin, and Daryl rests a hand on the back of her head.

“Oh baby,” Daryl says softly, falling painfully to his knees as he tightens his grip. He presses his lips against the top of Judith’s head and runs a hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her hiccuping sobs. Daryl tries to speak but he can't get the words out, can hardly breathe, not when he’s got Judith clinging to his neck so hard, soaking his t-shirt with his tears. He’s missed this, missed this so god damn much he can't stand it.

“I dreamed you were dead, I thought you left me,” Judith says, pulling away slightly from Daryl so she can look down at his face. “I was scared.”

“I know,” Daryl says, resting a hand on her cheek. He wants to give an explanation of some sorts but he doesn't want to traumatize her. He knows she knows that he had been taken, but she doesn't need to know the details of what they did to him. Daryl’s not going to scare her any more than she already is and he knows he can't relive the details right now. “I’m sorry baby, but I'm okay. I'm back and I swear, I'm never going to leave you again.”

The screen door opens and shuts and Daryl looks up to see Carl standing on the porch. He stands there, unable to do anything, unable to say anything, in complete shock. “Dad?” Carl says, absolutely shocked. Daryl wouldn't be surprised if he thought he was hallucinating.

Daryl’s still kneeling on the ground, one arm wrapped firmly around Judith’s waist as she clings tightly to his shoulder. “Come here,” Daryl says, opening up his other arm. Needing no further prompting, Carl takes off running towards him.

He crashes so hard into them they topple backwards, but Daryl doesn't care. He’s got his kids in his arms, the kids who've gone almost a year without any word from him, without knowing what had become of him, and right now nothing can keep him from them.

They sit like that for a minute or two, the three of them clinging tightly to each other, neither one of them willing to let go yet. There’s so much that needs to be said, so much that needs to be done, but Daryl really doesn't care right now. He’s gone too long without seeing his family and they've gone too long without seeing him, he’s going to make the most of this moment.

“God I’ve missed you guys,” he says, rubbing his hand up Carl’s back. “You have no idea.”

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Carl says softly, “I honestly thought we were going to get a letter saying you had died.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry,” Daryl says. “I wish I could go back and change things but I can’t. I’m here now, and nothing is going to pull me away from you guys again.”

The screen door opens once again and this time he knows it’s Rick before he even looks up. Daryl looks up and sees Rick standing there. He thought he was done crying, but seeing his husband standing there, together and in one piece, starts the tears once more. “Daryl?” Rick asks softly, taking a few steps forward and off the porch.

Judith and Carl pull away slightly, but don’t go too far from Daryl, so the two of them can have a little more room. Daryl stands up and just looks at Rick. He's not sure what to do, if he should start running towards him or just stand there and wait for Rick to make the move.

Rick keeps walking towards him, picking up the pace as he gets closer, and soon enough the two of them are reaching out for each other. Rick’s arms come up around him, crushing their bodies together, and Daryl presses his lips against Rick's in what is possibly the best kiss he’s ever shared.

“God I love you so much,” he says, running a hand down his cheek. There’s so much he wants to say, so much he wants to do, but Daryl’s chocking on words at the moment. Luckily Rick’s always been able to read him like a book so Daryl doesn't have to do much elaborating, they’re both thinking the same thing. He’s back and that’s all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end. I did end up liking this story, but I know this chapter could have been much better than it actually was. I promised you guys a happy ending and like always, I tried to deliver. Remember this is based on a song, some of Glenn's letter was actually taken directly from the song, so this was always the end point. 
> 
> Growing up I was a Navy Brat, meaning my Dad was in the Navy, and we moved around a lot (always in the United States). He's no longer in the military but my step dad is and he actually retires after 20 years of service this Friday. Therefore, I really hope I did this fic justice.
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you thought.


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